The murders of John Forest "Johnny" Goosey and Stacy Marie BarnettBrick, Michael.
Closing of murder case involving UT grads opens window into shadowy business of marijuana dealing

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. ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the '' Galvest ...

''. September 26, 2010. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. "At first, investigators would describe the killings as potentially random, spooking parents across the state. Then court filings would portray a limited picture of Goosey's dealings with marijuana, enough to stir imaginations. Later, Thompson would plead guilty to murder." and "Their son, named John Forest after his grandfathers, grew up chubby, with dark unruly curls. Everybody called him Johnny." and "They had much to discuss: growing up in the same neighborhood, graduating from the same high school, mutual friends." shows that Barnett also attended Lamar. occurred on July 21, 2009 in the West Campus area of

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, when a man (James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr.), who had two accomplices, shot to death two recent graduates from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

who originated from the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

area. This event is sometimes called the West Campus murders.Holloway, Joe.
West Campus Murders Don't Phase Students
." ''Austin Post''. August 25, 2010. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Police stated that the murder was the result of a drug deal debt. The murder resulted in media attention on the marijuana trade among young, college-educated people. This is case is featured in the Season 4, Episode 6, titled “Two Deadbeat Ricks” from the show ‘’ Deadly Sins’’.

The victims

Both Barnett and Goosey grew up in West University Place, a city within

.Feldman, Claudia.
Drug allegations rock grieving West U families
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

''. August 30, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. The parents of the couple lived within blocks of each other.Fikac, Peggy.
Police: UT alums from Houston may have known killer
" ''

''. July 22, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Goosey's father, Dr. John D. Goosey, is a Houston ophthalmologist.O'Hare, Peggy.
Austin police still searching for Houston couple's killer
" ''

''. July 24, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Goosey's mother, Claire Goosey, worked as a volunteer. John Goosey attended public elementary schools, Annunciation Orthodox School, and Lamar High School in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

; he graduated from high school in August 2004. He attended the University of Texas after a transfer from the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...

. While Barnett (born September 5, 1986), who was a student at West University Elementary School and Lanier Middle School, also attended Lamar, they did not become friends until they attended

together. Barnett began living in a West Campus apartment in summer 2008 and Goosey lived with her. Before the murders, both Barnett and Goosey had graduated, with Goosey obtaining a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s in History and English in December 2008 and Barnett obtaining a bachelor's degree in architecture in May 2009. Goosey had plans to attend law school. The couple had been dating for two years and planned to marry. Goosey died at age 21 and Barnett died at age 22.2 men plead guilty to West Campus murders, sentenced
." ''

KVUE KVUE (channel 24) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Steck Avenue just east of Loop 1 in northwest Austin, and its transmitter is locat ...

''. Friday April 8, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. According to the

Austin Police Department Austin Police Department (APD) is the principal law enforcement agency serving Austin, Texas. As of Fiscal Year 2022, the agency had an annual budget of $443.1 million and employed around 2,484 personnel, including approximately 1,809 officers. T ...

(APD), Goosey worked as a midlevel marijuana distributor. Lieutenant Mark Spangler of the APD said that Goosey had a business relationship with Thompson for at least three years.Smith, Jordan.
West Campus Murder Motivated by Drug Debt
" ''

Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...

''. Sunday July 26, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. police stated that they did not believe that Barnett was aware of her boyfriend's drug dealing, and that they believed that she did not use marijuana.Ratcliff, R.G. and Paige Hewitt.
Drugs may have led to Houston couple's slayings in Austin
" ''

''. July 26, 2009. Retrieved on February 18, 2013. Anita Hassan, a staff reporter, contributed to this article. The article contains some material from the '' Austin American-Statesman''. The landlord who owned the condominium where Goosey and Barnett lived said that, after smelling marijuana in her apartment and hearing Barnett telling him that her boyfriend had problems with drugs, he warned Barnett about the dangers of her boyfriend's lifestyle.

The perpetrators

James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr. is the son of parents who had divorced. His mother was an anthropology lecturer at the

who lived in the West Campus area, and he lived with her after his parents divorced. After his mother remarried, Thompson moved to Lakeway with his father. Thompson attended Austin High School in Austin and later Lake Travis High School. He dropped out of high school and worked several menial jobs. Thompson began distributing marijuana he received from Goosey. At the time of the murder, Thompson lived in a house on Alexandria Drive in South Austin.Smith, Jordan.
Double Murder: The Dark Side of Reefer Madness
" ''

''. Friday July 31, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. The other two people involved were Roy M. RenickWolfson, Shannon and Pamela Cosel.
Plea deal reached in W. Campus murders
" ''

KXAN KXAN-TV (channel 36) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Llano-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO (channel 14); Nexstar also provides certain services to KN ...

''. Published Monday August 23, 2010. Updated Tuesday August 24, 2010. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. and Samuel Hadden Gifford. According to police, Thompson owed $8,500 ($ when adjusted for inflation) to Goosey as part of a drug deal. Thompson wished to erase the debt.

The murder

On Tuesday, July 21, 2009, the murder occurred at Stacy Barnett's second floor apartment within the Preservation Square condominiums, located at 904 W. 21st Street, in the West Campus area in Austin,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. Thompson arrived at 9:50 AM that day. Police said that Thompson shot Goosey multiple times in the head, went upstairs, and shot Barnett twice in the head, including the face.Kreytak, Steven and Tony Plohteski.
Emotions raw after plea in West Campus murder case

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. '' Austin American-Statesman''. Tuesday August 24, 2010. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. A police affidavit said that all three perpetrators agreed that Barnett, if present, "would be killed because she knew who Thompson was." After the couple was dead, Thompson retrieved his shell casings and smashed the victims' cell phones in an attempt to prevent police from tracing a phone call that he placed to Goosey before the killing. Thompson was picked up by the

getaway driver A crime scene getaway is the act of fleeing the location where one has broken the law. It is an act that the offender(s) may or may not have planned in detail, resulting in a variety of outcomes. A :crime scene is the "location of a crime; e ...

at 10:12 AM. Police said that Renick, who had helped plot and cover up the crime, served as the getaway driver.Kreytak, Steven.
Final conviction secured in West Campus slayings
" '' Austin American-Statesman''. April 8, 2011. Retrieved on February 18, 2013. To prepare for the killing, according to Thompson, his accomplices helped him plot the crime. The group rearranged the furniture in Thompson's apartment to resemble the furniture in Barnett's apartment.Newton, Noelle.
Ricky Thompson pleads guilty in West Campus murder case
." ''

''. August 23, 2010. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Renick designed a homemade silencer used by Thompson. The police found no signs of forced entry into the Barnett residence.

Legal action

Police received anonymous tips that correlated with leads and evidence. Using the tips, on the Friday after the killings, police searched Thompson's house, found marijuana, and arrested Thompson. Thompson admitted to being involved in the murders after being interviewed by police detectives. On Saturday July 25, 2009,Juarez, Leticia.
Drugs Involved In Murder of UT Couple
" ''

KIAH KIAH (channel 39) is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, airing programming from The CW. Owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios adjacent to the Westpark Tollway on th ...

'' at the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

''. July 26, 2009. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Thompson was charged with two counts of capital murder.YNN Staff.
Two more convicted in West Campus double murder
" TWEAN d/b/a Your News Now (YNN) Austin. April 8, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. After his arrest, Thompson cooperated with police. He was held at the

Travis County Travis County is located in south central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas. The county was established in 1840 and is n ...

Jail. In August 2010 Thompson pleaded guilty to killing Stacy Barnett. Thompson received a life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2039. Thompson, had he not taken the pleas, would have faced the death penalty or

life without parole Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

for killing Barnett. As part of the plea deal, Thompson promised to testify against his two accomplices, in exchange for changing his plea for the Goosey murder to "guilty" and receiving a concurrent life sentence. If Thompson was not forthcoming, the prosecutor had the option of charging him for Goosey's murder and asking for the death penalty. As part of the deal, Thompson changed his plea in regards to the murder of Goosey to "guilty" and was eligible for a second life sentence running concurrently with the first life sentence. Perry Minton, Thompson's attorney, said "The evidence is overwhelming. Because of the evidence in this case, we believe that these two life sentences are the best that he could get." This also meant that Thompson did not receive capital punishment and life without parole penalties that could have resulted from being convicted of Goosey's murder. Renick and Gifford were also charged with capital murder. On Friday, 28 April 2011, both had pleaded guilty to murder. Renick received a 35-year sentence, and Gifford received two concurrent 50 year sentences. Renick was 22 and Gifford was 20 when they pleaded guilty and were sentenced. Steven Brand, the prosecutor, said that Renick received a shorter sentence than the other two because of the information he gave to police and prosecutors. , Thompson,

Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails ...

(TDCJ)#01661932 and State ID (SID)#08172250, is currently located in the

Robertson Unit The French M. Robertson Unit is a maximum-security state prison located on Farm to Market Road 3522 in Abilene, Texas, United States, northeast of Downtown Abilene in Jones County.Thompson, James Richard III

Archive
.

. Retrieved on January 7, 2016. Renick, TDCJ#01709362 and SID#08664372, is currently located in the Eastham Unit.Renick, Roy

Archive
.

. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Gifford, TDCJ#01709305 and SID#08417157, is currently located in the Alfred Hughes Unit.Gifford, Samuel Hadden

Archive
.

. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. Gooseybarnettgraves0

A private vigil and viewing of the victims occurred in the George H. Lewis & Sons

Funeral Home A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Services ...

in Memorial area of Houston on Sunday July 26, 2009. A joint funeral for Barnett and Goosey was scheduled to be held at the St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Houston on Monday July 27, 2009. The victims were buried together at the Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. Before the information about Goosey's drug involvement surfaced, parents of

students felt concern for their children. After the murder occurred, the majority of students in the West Campus area and in the UT Austin area said that they did not feel concern about their safety.

Analysis

Clete Snell, a criminal justice professor at the

University of Houston–Downtown The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System and has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite location, UHD-Northwest in Harris County. Fo ...

, said that violence is expected in instances where

illegal drugs The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate the ...

are involved but that "What makes this case unusual is the status of the people involved. Everyone is asking why a kid who seemed to have a bright future would get involved in this sort of thing." Snell said that many young people believe that the sale of illegal drugs is an easy method of generating income. Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist quoted in a ''

'' article, said "Whether parents want to believe it or not, most successful dealers are upper-middle-class kids." He added that many young people often grow out of drug dealing and that "Parents would rather not hear about some of the real stuff that happens to kids at that age. Usually they go on to become reasonable people." Michael Brick of ''

'' said that the murder "reveals a quietly thriving corner of the drug trade, a casual open secret among educated young men and women in dorms, condos and nightclubs. Driven by heightened

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

security, advanced growing techniques and a national decriminalization movement, entrepreneurial young marijuana distributors are establishing their own domestic networks apart from the notorious cartels of Mexico and

prison gangs A prison gang is an inmate organization that operates within a prison system. It has a corporate entity and exists into perpetuity. Its membership is restrictive, mutually exclusive, and often requires a lifetime commitment. Prison officials and ot ...

of the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado ...

. In a business that feels almost legal, trouble can intrude with little warning."

References

External links

; Videos * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goosey, John and Barnett, Stacy 2009 in Texas 2009 murders in the United States Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas) Cannabis in Texas Couples Crimes in Austin, Texas Deaths by person in Texas Illegal drug trade in the United States July 2009 crimes in the United States Murder in Texas People murdered in Texas